


Wishing Well

by signpainter1



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Ash Lynx Needs A Hug, Ash feels bad, Drama, M/M, Okumura Eiji Needs a Hug, Protective Eiji Okumura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25991104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/signpainter1/pseuds/signpainter1
Summary: Ash makes a wish on a wishing well to be anyone else but himself. To his surprise, he wakes up the next morning in the body of a rivaling gang leader. Now he only has 24 hours to get hold of his own body so he can return or else be stuck forever. To make matters worse Ash can't tell anyone about the wish.Ash is afraid he's going to run out of time and Eiji is freaked out by the rivaling gang leader demanding to see his boyfriend.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 5
Kudos: 149





	Wishing Well

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I'm currently working on two different stories but hey this one-shot was calling to me. XD. I hope you enjoy it. This story is not beta-read so feel free to point out any mistakes that bother you

The second Ash opened his eyes that morning he knew something was wrong. He was not in his apartment sleeping next to Eiji. He was on a hard bed in a rundown room. The wallpapers were peeling off leaving concrete walls behind and the whole place smelled like mold. Ash could feel something against his leg. He knew it was a gun, but it wasn’t the same shape as his own, besides Ash didn’t sleep with his gun on him. It was always under his pillow within grabbing distance. As Ash sat up, he found that more than his location was wrong. He was taller, bulkier. His hair didn’t fall in his face. Mater of fact, when he ran his hand through his hair, he found it was all buzzed off. Looking down Ash saw that he was wearing baggy grey pants and a lemon-colored shirt with a stain on it.

Ash pulled out an old phone that slinked of sweat and alcohol and opened a camera app. He needed to look at his face. Turning the camera to a selfie he found himself looking, not at his normal face, but at the wide face of an older man. He had brown eyes and a thick chin. It took Ash a moment to recognize the man who was staring back at him. He was a leader of a neighboring gang leader. Ash tried to remember his name. He called himself something like “the Crusher” though in truth Ash never paid him much attention. He ran a gang of brutes who were violent but not extremely dangerous. They didn’t have much territory and they weren’t smart enough to win a fight against the bigger gangs. They were mostly a nuisance that cropped up time to time to cause everyone problems. Of course, this raised a question. Why on Earth did Ash suddenly find himself inside “The Crusher”? It wasn’t normal to go to sleep as one’s self and wake up as someone else.

Ash put away the phone as he tried to figure out what happened. He had a fairly normal day yesterday. He had worked with his gang to gather information about a neighboring gang. Then he went home, had a nice dinner with Eiji, and then the two of them went strolling in the park. They had eaten ice cream there and Eiji had found a wishing well. Eiji had wished for something silly but Ash remembered that he had wished that he could be anyone else but him.

It was more of wishful thinking than an actual wish. Now more than ever Ash found himself wished he was someone different. Someone not broken. Someone who had a family. Someone who could date Eiji without the fear of the mafia getting involved.

 _“Was that it? Was it the stupid wish I made?”_ Ash growled at the thought. This wasn’t what he meant by that wish. It seemed that wish-granting was as fickle in life than in stories. Of course, his wish would be granted in a way he didn’t want it to be. He couldn’t even believe it was granted int the first place.

Ash sighed and looked down at his hands. If he wanted to be someone else it would be to have clean hands. “The Crusher’s” hands were even dirtier then Ash’s. The man hurt and killed for fun. Ash didn’t want to be suck in his body.

A sound of a car driving up the street outside brought Ash back to his senses. He stood up and headed for the door. Ash knew he had to find his body and take hold of it in order to return to himself. If he didn’t do it in 24 hours, he would be stuck in this body forever. Ash was about to open the door when he paused, confused. How did he know all of that? The information seemed to just appear in his brain. One thing for certain though. He knew it was true.

“Anything else I need to know, oh wishing well,” Ash asked the ceiling angrily. It didn’t answer and no new information came to him. Ash rolled his eyes and pulled open the door. As he left the room he saw “The Crusher’s” gang hanging around. A chorus of “Morning Boss” rang around the hall as Ash passed.

“Boss where you are going?” someone called out as Ash rushed down the stairs towards the front door. He ignored them. Right now the most important thing was finding his body and switching back as soon as possible. 

The second Ash hit the streets, he headed to the nice apartment that he and Eiji lived in. As he passed a clock, he saw that is was around 8:00 in the morning. That meant he would still be asleep at home unless Eiji forced him awake. Hopefully, he could show up explain everything to Eiji before his boyfriend realized something was wrong. It would probably worry Eiji if Ash seemly refused to wake up.

 _“Unless “The Crusher” is now in my body.”_ Ash picked up his pace. If that was the case Eiji was in danger. That man was dumb but even he could probably put two and two together and realize that Eiji was close to Ash. He could hurt Eiji or try to take advantage of him. Ash swore and he broke into a run. Eiji was too trusting of Ash. What would he do if Ash suddenly started acting strangely? Would he confront him? Probably, Eiji wasn’t scared of Ash. That made it even more dangerous. Unlike Ash, “The Crusher” would definitely hurt Eiji.

It only took Ash about 30 minutes to get to the apartment. At he stood panting slightly at the front door he tried to decide what he was going to do next. If “The Crusher” was still asleep, knocking might wake him up. In that case, calling Eiji would be the best course of action. If “The Crusher” was awake, then breaking down the door to save Eiji was the best course of action. If “The Crusher” wasn’t in his body, then knocking was the best course of action. After standing there for a couple of seconds Ash pressed his ear to the door to see what he could hear.

Through the door, Eiji’s muffled voice rang out. His boyfriend sounded panicked and scared. Ash’s heart quickened as he pressed his ear closer. Was Eiji ok? Thankfully, Eiji was talking in a loud voice or else Ash wouldn’t be able to hear him through the thick door.

“And I’ve tried everything! He won’t wake Bones! I don’t know what’s wrong with him!” there was a pause then. “No, he’s breathing…yeah his temperature is fine as well.” Eiji gave a gasp. “Drugged? Are you sure?” Another pause then “Ok you go ask them...Also, try Sing, it might have been Yut-Lung who did this….Yeah, I’ll be fine on my own. See you.” Eiji’s voice fell quiet and Ash pulled away from the door, relief flooding him. Eiji was alright. It seemed that “The Crusher” wasn’t in his body. It was just sleeping. That made everything easier. Ash knocked on the door confidently. After a moment it opened.

“That was fast. What have you learned…?” Eiji’s voice petered off as he took in who was on the other side. Ash saw fear flicker in his eyes.

“Hey.” Ash’s voice sounded intimidating to his own ears. “The Crusher” had that kind of voice that made everything sound threatening. He saw Eiji shrink back a little, closing a door to a crack.

“Don’t panic. I’m actually” _Ash._ The last word got caught in his throat. Ash tried again. “I’m” _stuck in this body._ Once again, he found he couldn’t say it. As he opened his mouth a third time a dawning realization hit him. He couldn’t explain it to Eiji. He couldn’t communicate who he was or what happened. It kept getting blocked. Ash closed his mouth and grimaced. This made things much more complicated.

“Can I help you?” Eiji asked quietly. Ash’s half-formed sentence didn’t seem to soothe the Japanese’s nervous at all.

“I need to see Ash” _(my body)._ “Now.”

This was the wrong thing to say. Eiji’s eyes widened as he tried to slam the door shut in Ash’s face. Ash put his foot out to catch it.

“Ash isn’t here right now.” Eiji tried to kick Ash’s foot. “Try again later.”

“I know he’s in there.” Ash’s gruff voice made him sound angry. Eiji gave up trying to kick Ash’s foot away and threw something in his face instead. It hit Ash hard on the nose and he grunted in surprise. The second he was distracted Eiji kicked his foot out and shut the door. Ash heard an audible click as Eiji locked it. Ash, rubbing his stinging nose, looked down to see what Eiji had thrown at him. It was Eiji’s cell phone. At least that means Eiji couldn’t call Ash’s gang. It would make everything more difficult if he had to fight off his own gang in this body. Ash kicked it to the side of the hall then banged on the door.

“Eiji open up!” he knew his voice was harsh, but he didn’t know what else to do. This was urgent. He needed to get back to his own body.

“Hey, boss?” Ash spun around reaching for his gun. He paused as he took in who was in front of him. Some of “The Crusher’s” gang members were standing in the nice hall watching him

“What are you doing here?” Ash demanded.

The drew back in fear. “W-w-we saw you leave and decided to follow you.” One managed to stammer. Ash held back a sigh. He had acted carelessly. In his haste to make sure Eiji was alright, he had allowed himself to be followed.

“We can break down the door if you need us to.” Another man offered. Ash grimaced. It really looked like it was going to come to that. He knew this was going to scare Eiji. He eyed the door. It would take about five minutes for them to get through. The apartment was high enough quality that the doors didn’t break easily. During that time Eiji would probably escape down the emergency ladder and go get help. Some of the neighbors might also call the police. Ash estimated he had 30 to 40 minutes to find his body and return to it before either his men or the cops showed up.

“Fine.” He grunted. The men smiled stupidly and turned to the door. They began to slam into it. On the other side, Ash heard the sound of scrambling footsteps retreating. At least Eiji would be out of the way. Once the door broke down, everyone rushed it.

To Ash’s horror, he found Eiji sitting on the couch with his legs curled up to his chest. Ash clenched his teeth in frustration. Why on Earth did Eiji stay? Even he had enough common sense to escape when he could.

“Who’s this?” one of the guys leering down at Eiji. “Is he the reason we broke in here?” the man reached for Eiji. Ash grabbed his shoulder and threw him back.

“He’s not important. We’re looking for Ash.” The room was quiet for a moment as the men took in this information.

“Ash Lynx?” one asked excitement rising in his voice. “He’s here?” All the other men around him hooted in delight. They clearly thought they could outnumber him and take him down.

“He should be sleeping in that room.” Ash pointed to their bedroom. “Bring him here but” Ash shot them a stern look. “don’t hurt him. He’s mine.” The men laughed curly and left the room. Ash let out a slow breath. This nightmare was almost over. Once they found his body and brought it here, he would be able to return to himself. A few seconds later however the men came back empty-handed.

“He’s not in there, Boss.” One of them said nervously. Ash scowled around. The men backed up in fright. None of them were smart enough to defy their leader so they weren’t lying, but it didn’t make sense. Ash knew he went to sleep on his bed. He had overheard Eiji tell Bones that Ash was still asleep. Ash couldn’t have moved then. So unless someone had moved him, he would still be in bed….The realization hit Ash hard. He felt his blood go cold as he turned to Eiji.

“You hid him,” Ash said quietly. That explained everything. There was no way Eiji could have to carry Ash down the emergency ladder. He must have spent those precious five minutes hiding Ash. He must have known he couldn’t hide Ash and still escape. He had to choose between his own safety and Ash’s. A lump grew in Ash’s throat. Eiji had chosen to protect Ash. He had put himself in danger for Ash’s sake.

“Looks like Lynx’s kitten is trying to be clever.” One of the gang members grabbed Eiji’s shirt and shook him. “Where are you hiding him.” Ash snapped back to reality as Eiji hissed.

“I’m not telling you.”

“Oh really.” The man put his hand around Eiji’s throat. Instantly Ash grabbed the man and threw him across the room. As he landed with a thud Ash whipped out his gun.

“Touch him again and I will kill you.” He roared. “Find Ash. NOW.” The men scurried off in fear. Ash put his gun away and turned to make sure Eiji was alright. His boyfriend looked a little shaken but not hurt. Ash sat down next to him and Eiji scurried to the other side of the couch. He kept glancing at the door. Ash knew he was wondering if he could make a run for it. Unfortunately “The Crusher’s” men were searching that part of the apartment as well so there was no way Eiji would escape. Ash had briefly wondered if he could let Eiji leave, but there was no guarantee that some of the gang might follow and hurt him. This wasn’t his gang and he didn’t know them very well. It would be hard to keep them in check and make sure none of them followed Eiji. It was best to keep Eiji in eyes sight in order to make sure .his safety

Eiji gave a little shiver and tucked his arms between his legs and chest. Ash put out a hand to comfort him, forgetting for a moment he wasn’t Ash. The second he touched Eiji, the Japanese flinched away. Eiji’s whole body was stiff. He curled his legs tighter and clenched his fists. He seemed to be preparing himself for something bad. It took Ash a few seconds to figure out what it was.

“You think I’m going to hurt you.” The thought made Ash sick. This was the first time Eiji was afraid of him. He never wanted Eiji to be afraid and he never wanted to be the cause of Eiji’s fear.

“Aren’t you?” Eiji asked angrily. “I know how people like you think. It’s not like you’re just going to leave if you can’t find Ash. You’re going to get the information out of me no matter what it takes…” A flash of fear flickered in Eiji’s eyes followed by determination. “But no matter what you do to me I won’t speak. I won’t let you hurt him so” he was shaking now. “Take your best shot.”

Ash gulped down his rising emotions. Eiji would not abandon him even if it meant putting himself at risk. Eiji would not give up Ash’s location no matter what someone did to him. Eiji would rather die than betray Ash. The thought was horrifying and sickening. Eiji, his pure angel, should not have to do that for a demon like him. It was Ash’s job to protect Eiji, not the other way around. Eiji had saved Ash enough. Ash didn’t deserve this loyalty, this love. Not someone as despicable as him. Despite how scared Eiji was, he was holding his ground. Another thought entered Ash’s mind. He knew Eiji was safe, even though Eiji didn’t think he was, but what if Ash really was drugged. What if it was really “The Crusher” next to him. Eiji would act the same way. The Crusher wouldn’t show mercy. Ash shivered at the thought and tried to push it away.

“I don’t want to hurt him.” Ash finally said. “I just want to touch him.” The second he spoke he regretted it. It sounded bad even to his ears. Eiji’s eyes flashed again.

“Oh is that all you want from him?” Eiji hissed. “I will never tell you where he is.”

“He’s not worth it,” Ash grunted. “He’s not worth dying over.”

Eiji’s eyes flashed. “He’s worth everything. He’s worth living for. He’s worth dying for.”

“How can you say that?!” Ash grabbed his boyfriend’s shoulders. He wanted him to listen. To understand he never wanted Eiji to choose Ash’s life over his own. The anger in Eiji’s face drained and he looked afraid again. He tensed his shoulders as his breath quickened. Once again, he seemed to be preparing himself for pain. Ash let go quickly. He needed to remember not to touch Eiji casually. No matter what his intentions were, Eiji did not know it was Ash. He was under the impression this man was going to hurt and kill him. Nothing Ash said could convince him otherwise. The best thing to do would be to find his body quickly.

“Boss we can’t find him anywhere!” one of the men stomped back into the room. “We tore this damn apartment apart.”

Ash glanced at the clock. It had already been 15 minutes. They were running short on time. The men seemed to think the same thing because one of them snapped.

“We need to find him quick!” He glared over at Eiji “I say we break the kitten’s pretty little fingers. I bet he’ll tell us then.” Eiji pulled his hands to his chest. The man noticed and laughed cruelly. “Aww is the little kitten scared?”

“Enough.” Ash glared at the man. “Go back to searching. I’ll handle him.” The man scolded but continued his search. His comrades followed. Ash looked back to Eiji. Despite how determined he looked; Ash could feel the fear seeping out of him. No matter how much he tried to conceal it, he was afraid. He stared at Ash as if Ash was the devil himself. Ash was used to the look but not from Eiji. He avoided his boyfriend’s eyes instead of glancing down at Eiji’s hands. As he looked at them, he noticed that something was off.

“I need to take a look at your hand. I’m going to pick it up now.” Ash hoped that by telling Eiji first what he was going to do, it would make Eiji less scared. He knew how horrible it was when people did whatever they wanted too, and you didn’t know what was coming. Unfortunately telling Eiji didn’t go over very well. Eiji eyes widened and he jammed his hands behind his back. Ash felt a new wave of guilt.

“Hey, I’m not going to break your fingers.” Ash tried to say gently. It came out sounding sarcastic and belittling. Ash reached over and pulled Eiji’s hand out from behind him. “I just want to look at your hand for a second.” Apparently, he didn’t believe Ash at all. His expression twisted into terror and he tried to tug his hand free. When that didn’t work, he tried kicking Ash. He wasn’t strong enough to cause any pain.

Ash wished he could let go of Eiji’s hand. He wished there was another way. he wished he could stop scaring his boyfriend. He knew however this was the only way. He could not stay in this body. “The Crusher” was a mess of a human being, with no respect or dignity. If Ash became him, he would lose everything. He would lose Eiji, his gang, and the chance of revenge against Dino. The marks of Eiji’s fingers were his only clue to where his body was hidden. They weren’t there yesterday, and he didn’t notice them on Eiji’s hand when Eiji had opened the door. It meant that he got them while hiding Ash’s body.

Once Eiji’s hand was firmly in Ash’s grip he saw that the marks on Eiji’s fingers looked like cuts. It was hard to tell because Eiji was clenching his fists, so the fingers were bent away from him.

“Eiji I need you to relax your fingers.” Eiji’s hand tightened. Ash tried to ignore the horrible guilt that was grinding in his stomach as he started prying Eiji’s fingers apart. Eiji gave a loud shuttering breath and looked away. He was tense and trembling. Ash suddenly had the image of when he was younger. When he broke Dino’s rules and Dino was going to hurt him. Ash remembered looking away when they had grabbed his arm before starting to twist. This was exactly how Eiji was acting.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Ash pleased. He hated “the Crusher’s” voice. No matter what he said it came out wrong. When he was trying to sound gentle it came out rough. When he was trying to reassure it came out as mocking and snide.

Eiji ignored him. He looked pointedly at the window, his face pale as snow. He was mouthing something. It took a moment for Ash to realize he was mouthing his name over and over as if it could bring him comfort. Ash swallowed down the bile that had crept up his throat and turned to Eiji’s fingers. Right now he had to do this fast. He needed to end this. Once this was over, he would beg his boyfriend’s forgiveness.

As Ash examined his boyfriend’s slender fingers, he noticed that there were splinters in his thumb and ring finger. This was surprising since there weren’t many places to get splinters in the apartment. All the wood in the apartment was glossed over. Unless someone was pulling up the floorboards you wouldn’t get a splinter. With that, Ash finally understood where Eiji had hidden his body.

“Hey!” he yelled to some of the guys. “Look at the floorboards. Find any that have been pulled up.” Eiji jolted in shock conforming Ash’s suspicions.

“You hid him under the floor.” Ash let go of Eiji’s hand. “that was smart.” Eiji was trembling again but it was different. This time he seemed almost angry.

“Aha!” a holler of triumph came from the bedroom. “Boss we found him! He was under the floorboards under the bed.” Any remaining color in Eiji’s face disappeared as he turned to watch the men dragged Ash’s body into the room.

“This is the fearless Ash Lynx? He looked like a doll” one of the men scoffed.

“Imagine the recognition we’ll get when we destroy him completely.” Another man said, a sadistic smile on his face.

“Hey, Lynx. Wake up!” A third man put his foot on Ash’s face

“Stop!” Eiji cried spring to his feet and rushing across the room. He grabbed Ash and clung him to his chest; making sure he was between Ash and the rest of the room. The men roared with laughter.

“Look at that the kitten thinks he can protect the Lynx!”

“Ahh, how cute. I wonder how long it will take for him to break.”

“Hey Lynx, you better wake up. We’re about to break your kitten.”

The men slowly approached Eiji greedy looks on their faces.

“ENOUGH” Ash roared loudly. “Everyone OUT!” The men turned in surprise, some eve gave sputtered protest. Ash reached into his back pocket and grabbed the gun again. He whispered it out and pointed it at them.

“Whoa calm down boss!” one of the guys said. “We just want to have some fun! You wouldn’t actually shoot us over th-” A gunshot rang out through the room. The man slowly put his hand to where the bullet had grazed his ear.

“I said out.” Ash’s voice was deadly calm. “Go back to the base and wait for more orders. Do. You. Understand?” The men scattered like mice. They rushed through the door without a second glance. Once everyone was gone Ash relaxed slightly. He turned his attention to Eiji and approached him. As he got closer, Eiji tightened his grip on Ash’s body and buried his face in his collarbone. It took Ash a moment to realize he still had his gun out.

“Ash.” Eiji sounded so lost and hopeless. Eiji’s voice stung Ash to his core. Here was Eiji, seemingly alone with a man who was about to shoot him. Eiji, who wasn’t even going to move out of the way, choosing instead deciding to shield Ash with his own body. Eiji, who had just cried out Ash’s name as if he still hoped Ash would wake and save him. Ash didn’t know how much more he could take of this. He was already feeling nauseous. The horror of what he put Eiji through turned in his stomach, gnawing away at his remaining insides. He was on fire, burning away. He felt empty, hot, numb, sick. He needed to end this quickly.

The problem was now that he was here, he realized it wasn’t going to be simple. If he touched his own hand and became himself again, there was no guarantee he would wake up before “the Crusher” did. If so, he would be leaving Eiji alone with a man who was twice as big as him and who had a knack for violence. Ash needed to give Eiji a way to defend himself if this happened.

“Hey.” Ash bent down next to Eiji. “Do you know how to use this type of gun?” he held up the weapon. Eiji shook his head, his expression blank. “You hold it like this. This is how you turn the safety off. This is the trigger.” Ash demonstrated each step. Eiji watched him, confusion in his eyes.

“Listen.” Ash turned to Eiji again. “I am going to reach out and touch Ash’s hand.” Eiji’s grip tightened again. “Only his hand. As I do, I will hold out this gun. Take it. Understand.”

“Why?” Eiji stared at him. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’ll explain after, ok?”

Eiji hesitated. Ash knew he hated the idea of him touching any part of Ash. Even so, Eiji knew if he had the gun there was a better chance of getting out of this alive. After a few seconds, Eiji’s shoulders slumped.

“Alright,” he said reluctantly. “But only his hand.” Eiji didn’t seem happy about it at all. Eiji’s willingness to protect Ash’s body was touching. No one cared that much about Ash. Ash was always the leader. He had to be strong. Now at the moment of complete vulnerability, Eiji was willing to use his own body to protect Ash’s. He really didn’t deserve Eiji.

“That’s fine.” Ash turned the gun in his hand, so the handle was facing away from him. He slowly held it out to Eiji as he reached his other hand forward to touch his own hand. Ash’s pointer finger touched his thumb as Eiji’s hand shot out towards the gun.

Ash opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he was in Eiji’s strong arms. He could hear his boyfriend’s heart, feel his love and protection surround him. For a few seconds, he suppressed his thoughts and allowed himself to feel protected and cared for. Then he forced himself back to reality.

“What the Hell!? Where am I? How did you get my guy?!”

“Stay back.” Eiji’s voice was shaky. “Move again and I’ll shoot!” Ash shifted in Eiji’s arms and Eiji glance down at him.

“You’re alright.” For a split second Eiji looked relieved, then suddenly “the Crusher” appeared, grabbing the gun. He had taken Eiji’s momentarily lapse of attention to strike. Eiji cried in shock and tried to fight him off. Ash reached down for his own gun and then remembered he had hidden it under his pillow. That would explain why Eiji didn’t have it. Ash never told Eiji where he hid his gun, mostly because he felt it was a little shameful.

Ash sat up quickly and kicked “the Crusher” in the stomach. The man grunted and his grip loosened. It was enough for Ash to knock the gun out of the man’s hands.

“Freeze!” All three of them glance up. At the door stood the police. Behind them were some of the neighbors. “The Crusher” put up his hands looking livid. Ash would have felt bad for landing him in jail if he didn’t already know all the crimes “The Crusher had willingly committed. Ash didn’t feel much sympathy, if anything he felt relieved. Unlike people like Arthur, “The Crusher” didn’t have any mafia backing. He had to go through the system like any other low life without money or power. That would be one less nuisance plaguing him and his gang.

“Damn it you, framed me!” “The Crusher” roared at Ash. “I didn’t do anything damn it!”

“That’s enough, let’s go.” The police looked back over at Ash ad Eiji. “I’ll give you a couple of minutes aright?” Then he led “the crusher” away. Ash turned to Eiji.

“Are you ok.”

Eiji nodded looking down. “I think so…I mean I’m not hurt…”

“That’s not what I meant,” Ash said gently. Eiji hesitated for a moment before breaking.

“I thought he was going to toture me to death.” Eiji finally said tears pricking at his eyes. “I’ve been in scary situations before but usually you were there. If you weren’t, I comforted myself by believing that you would come soon. This time, however. I was on my own.” He sobbed a little. “I thought he was going to break my fingers…” Ash wrapped his arms around him.

“I’m sorry this is all my fault.” Ash couldn’t tell if he was trembling as well or if it was just Eiji.

“What do you mean?” Eiji sniffed. Ash launched into a quick explanation of the day. If it was anyone else, they wouldn’t believe him. Eiji however seemed to understand.

“That explains things,” Eiji muttered burying his head in Ash’s chest. “That’s why he kept telling me he wouldn’t hurt me.”

“I couldn’t tell you. The stupid wish didn’t let me. I needed to get back to my body. I was running out of time” Ash’s voice had a note of pleading in it. He felt tainted, disgusting. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you didn’t have a choice. Though, I will admit you really scared me.” Ash looked away.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not really you’re fault. It’s just going to take time to get over all of this…” Eiji curled into Ash.

“Eiji” Ash ran his hand through his hair. “Why didn’t you just run?”

“I didn’t have enough time after hiding you. The emergency ladder is hard to pull down.”

“You could have abandoned me.” Ash looked up at the ceiling as he continued running his hand through Eiji’s hair. “You could have just told them where I was. You didn’t need to get caught. You didn’t need to suffer.”

“I would never abandon you.” Eiji took a handful of Ash’s shirt. “No matter what. I love you too much.”

“Even though it was my fault.”

“Yes.” Eiji nuzzled Ash’s chest with his head. “Even then.”

“You shouldn’t feel that way. I’m not worth it.” Ash whispered. “Someone like you shouldn’t have to die for me.”

“You are worth it. You’re worth dying for and living for.” Eiji pulled back and gave a weak smile. “If anything you got it backward.” Eiji looked away. “You saw how weak I was. If I was you, I know you wouldn’t have shown any emotions. You would have been able to think of a way to get us both out of there.”

“No, you’re amazing Eiji.” Ash pulled him closer.

“So are you,” Eiji muttered. “I’ve accepted that you would do anything to protect me. Now you need to accept that I will never abandon you no matter what.”

“That’s a hard thing to accept.”

“You have to Ash.”

“What did I ever do to deserve you.” Ash’s voice broke a little. Eiji rested his head on Ash’s shoulder.

“You existed.” Tears prickled Ash, s eyes. He turned his head towards Eiji and kissed him softly on the forehead. After a few seconds, a small cough caught their attention. One of the cops was standing a few feet away.

“Sorry to interrupt you two. I need to ask you some questions about the break-in.”

“Ok.” Eiji’s face was red but he didn’t pull away from Ash.

“You’re going to have to ask us together,” Ash said. “My boyfriend is still shaken up.”

“That’s fine.” The cop turned away. Ash helped Eiji to his feet and held him close as the walked together out of the apartment. As they did so Ash started thinking of ways to make everything up to Eiji. Even though Eiji said he didn’t blame Ash, that didn’t take back all the fear his boyfriend had felt. Ash was going to spoil him rotten until Eiji felt better.

Eiji tripped over a turned over table, and Ash suddenly remembered that some of “The Crusher’s” gang knew where Eiji lived. That meant they would have to move again. Ash still had some money left from when he robbed Dino. He could buy Eiji another apartment.

As they entered the hall, Ash made a silent vow never to make a wish on a wishing well again. It wasn’t worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's it. Poor Eiji had a really hard time.  
> Feel free to leave a Kudo or/and a comment. They really make my day.


End file.
